New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a 2.5D platform game and a port of the Nintendo GameCube game Donkey Kong Jungle Beat released on the Wii as part of the New Play Control! series, a line of enhanced ports of Nintendo GameCube games remade to take advantage of the Wii's motion controls. However, New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is the only game to feature new, exclusive content, having new and redesigned levels, additional enemies, and gameplay modifications to fit the new method of control.

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Donkey Kong sets out to prove he's king of the jungle and beyond. He rampages through lava caves, savage seas and crazy locales like a ninja-chimp fortress. Only when Donkey Kong defeats all the kings of his world – by boxing with apes, rabid warthogs, ballistic elephants and giant birds – can he call himself king.

Story from European website

When an army of invaders infiltrate Donkey Kong’s jungle home and help themselves to every banana they can get their hands on, you know there’s going to be trouble. With a rumbling stomach and the support of some fellow banana-starved buddies, the agitated ape sets out to reclaim what’s rightfully his and liberate the kingdoms he passes through in the process.

During the events of the game, the jungle and various fruit kingdoms are overrun by the various minions of Ghastly King and Cactus King. The bananas from the jungle are also all stolen, scattered throughout the various kingdoms. Donkey Kong decides to help by facing and defeating the kings of each kingdom to both liberate the kingdoms and reclaim the bananas.

During his journeys, in which he defeats the kings in each kingdom, Cactus and Ghastly King both claim to rule the world. However, their plans are thwarted when Donkey Kong arrives and beats Cactus King, and later Ghastly King. The Helper Monkeys and Ninjapes, as well as the four Kongs under Ghastly King and Cactus King, then celebrate the defeat of the duo, with Donkey Kong being named the new king.

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is played using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk[1]. Donkey Kong is controlled with the analog stick of the Nunchuk, and to clap the player must flick the Wii Remote. Unlike the original game, Donkey Kong's Sound Wave Attacks are directional rather than based on a radius[1]. In addition, while the Clap Grab is still available, the player can no longer Clap Grab while in the air or underwater. Punching enemies is accomplished by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck repeatedly. The Jungle Buddies are also all controlled using the analog stick. Donkey Kong is also able to duck by holding down on the analog stick; this action was not in the original game at all.

Rather than use beats as health throughout the kingdom, beats only serve as health in boss battles. In standard levels, the player is given three hearts as health, as well as a life counter, which can be increased by collecting 1-up tokens. These can be found through various circumstances and by collecting specific numbers of beats (200, 500, 1000, 1500, etc.). If the player loses all of their hearts, they lose a life rather than automatically getting a game over; because of this, checkpoints have been implemented into the levels.

The crest system has also been revised; there are no longer different crests, but a number of crests the player can still obtain by earning a certain number of bananas[1]. The player can earn up to three crests from each kingdom; 200 beats earns the player one crest, 500 two, and 1000 and above three. Collecting all of the crests in one barrel results in the player unlocking the fourth kingdom in that barrel. The other Kingdoms are unlocked after the previous one has been completed, as opposed to gathering a certain number of crests.

In the New Play Control! version, there are three kingdoms per barrel, as well as a fourth one that is unlocked by obtaining all nine crests in the first three. The kingdoms in this version are unlocked in a sequential order, the next kingdom being unlocked by clearing the previous one rather than having to have a certain number of crests. The unlockable kingdoms are the kingdoms that were in the B Barrel in the original version. Two new kingdoms have also been added to the game, and some of the bosses and stages have been swapped compared to the original. The order they appear in is as follows:

Critical reception for the New Play Control! version of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat game was positive, though not as much as the original. The game still received praise for its graphics, and while the new style of gameplay received some praise for retaining, it was also criticized for lacking the ingenuity and feel of the bongo controls. Like the original, this release also received criticism for its short length and lack of replay value.

"I'd be lying if I indicated I didn't miss bongo support for this once- wholly-unique 3D platformer. I do. I've still got my bongos so it's downright disappointing that I can't plug them in and play with them. But that said, the 'new play controls' work very well and, besides, they do sometimes add welcomed precision and responsiveness. The amazing graphical presentation -- great for four years ago and still great by Wii standards today -- holds up beautifully. And best of all, the engaging level designs will still suck you in and the combo system will keep you coming back for more. With it's reduced price tag -- less than $29.99 online -- DK Jungle Beat is a fantastic platformer that discerning Nintendo fans shouldn't be without."

"New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is the third title in Nintendo’s new line of 'Wiimakes' and boy, is it good. Everything there was to love about the original can be found here, including a handful of new content. The game excels in practically every department, and while it may only take a couple of hours to complete, it's filled with replay value. The lack of DK Bongo support is unfortunate, but not a deal-breaker. If you missed out on the Gamecube version, you owe it to yourself to pick up this must-play platformer."

"If you never caught the original, then this is almost a must-have. It's stuffed with charm and clever ideas like the score-maxing hint sections displayed upon level-completion. In fact, this is classic platforming with the added bonus of individuality and innovation. If, like a hippy with particularly adhesive locks, you were dreadfully attached to your bongo set, you may take time to adjust. I can only implore you to try."

"Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat was an instant classic when it arrived on the GameCube and now, complete with its impressive new control scheme and welcomed extras, it shines bright amongst a plethora of average Wii titles. If you missed out the first time, make sure the same does not happen again..."

"Oh! My aching head... Hey, DK! The other kingdoms have taken all our bananas away! Please help us! Go show those nasty kings who's boss! Oh! I almost forgot... If you swipe while tilting , you'll send a sound wave in the direction you're focusing!" - Party Monkey

"You're not far from the king now! Are you grabbing every banana you can? You need every banana you can find for the coming battle!" - Party Monkey

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo. The producers were Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Futoshi Shirai and Haruka Kakinuma were the director and assistant director, respectively. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka along with Hiroyuki Kimura were also the general producers. Satoru Iwata was once again the executive producer. The staff for the original game was also credited.